A RARE CIZHOU-TYPE MOULDED 'DOUBLE-LION' PILLOW NORTHERN SONG – JIN DYNASTY

the pillow modelled with a pair of Buddhist lions heads in mirror image with their long mane combed back extending along the sides of the central depression, the beasts depicted with fierce piercing eyes between bushy eyebrows and flaring nostrils, rendered with their heads resting on their well-defined paws, all supported on a flat base of corresponding form, the pillow covered all over save for the base and underside with a creamy-white slip beneath a transparent glaze

The pillow is in overall good condition, except for a few occasional minor glaze flakes, in addition to some original flaws including firing lines and burst bubbles.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The current pillow is skillfully moulded in the round, without a headrest on the top, in the form of two recumbent felines depicted peacefully resting their heads on their paw. Originating in the Northern Song dynasty, lion-shaped ceramic pillows became very popular through the Jin dynasty and were produced in various kilns. Pillows in animal form were generally believed to ward off evil spirits and promote peace and wellness. Despite the popularity of the subject matter, this Cizhou-type ‘double-lion’ pillow is highly unusual and no comparable example appears to be published.

However, several Cizhou-type white-glazed pillows in the form of a single lion are recorded. See for example a moulded white biscuit ‘lion’ pillow of smaller size, also without a headrest, excavated in the Guantai kiln site, Ci County, Hebei, published in Guantai Cizhou yao zhi / The Cizhou Kiln Site at Guantai, Beijing, 1997, p. 350, fig. 151-1, and pl. 86-4 left. Another related Cizhou white-glazed pillow in the form of a single recumbent lion with the eyes highlighted in brown, also without a headrest, attributed to the Northern Song dynasty, was donated by Dr. Yokogawa Tamisuke to the Tokyo National Museum, and included in the special exhibition Charm of Black: Transition of Cizhou Type Wares, Osaka Municipal Museum of Art, Osaka, 2002, cat. no. 9.

Song dynasty ‘double-lion’ ceramic pillows were also produced with different glazes in several other kilns. See for example a Northern Song dynasty ‘Ding’ black-glazed pillow of smaller size, from the collection of Mr and Mrs Yeung Wing Tak, modelled with a headrest supported by two lions flanking a beribboned ball, in the Museum of the Western Han Tomb of the Nanyue King, Guangzhou, illustrated in Chinese Ceramic Pillows, op. cit., cat. no. 185; and another sancai-glazed double-lion pillow with a rectangular headrest of slightly smaller size, in the collection of the Yunnan Provincial Museum, attributed to the Song dynasty, included in Wang Yongsheng, ‘Sancai shuang shi huahui ci zhen [Sancai-glazed floral-decorated ceramic pillow with double lions]’, Zhongguo Wenwu Bao [News of Chinese relics], 29th September 1996.